Here we go again. The Orange County Supervisors are finally admitting that they blew it when they set up our current restaurant health rating system – the only one in Southern California that does NOT include letter grades for restaurants.

The board voted 3-1, with Supervisor Janet Nguyen abstaining, to send a plan back to staff for some tweaking. A majority of supervisors want signs in the window that make it more obvious to customers if a restaurant has passed or failed an inspection.Restaurants that pass would get green signs, ones that fail would have a red sign in the window, and a business that has been “conditionally” passed, but requires a re-inspection, would have a yellow sign. (Source: RSM Patch)

The Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) showed their true colors last night at their Central Committee meeting when they voted to oust Greg Diamond as their Vice Chairman. He lost by one vote and it should be noted that the woman he helped to elect in the 65th Assembly District, Sharon Quirk-Silva, abstained, leaving Diamond dangling in the wind when he needed her the most.

Diamond, the Democratic candidate for Orange County District Attorney, angered the unions who run the DPOC by not supporting his fellow Democrat, Lorri Galloway, who is running a ridiculous campaign for Mayor of Anaheim. She is running against an incumbent, Mayor Tom Tait, who has fought the Curt Pringle machine that gave away millions of tax dollars to a wealthy hotel developer so he could build a hotel at the failing Anaheim GardenWalk.

If the Democrats want to punish someone in Anaheim for working with the Republicans then they ought to be crucifying Anaheim Councilman Jordan Brandman, who is advised by the same guy who is advising Quirk-Silva. Brandman is firmly entrenched in the Pringle machine and he is a consistent supporter of his Republican Council Members, as they continue to throw money at corporate interests. Continue reading→

Think about it. Tom Daly, a career Democratic politician who is representing the 69th Assembly District – the most Hispanic legislative seat in Orange County, and Janet Nguyen, the Republican County Supervisor who is running for the 34th State Senate District, are both in the same hot seat. Both have been challenged by popular Latino candidates. Daly is facing off in the June Primary against SAUSD Trustee Ceci Iglesias while Nguyen is being opposed by a college Trustee, Jose Solorio, who previously served in the 69th Assembly District.

I know for a fact that Solorio is thrilled that Nguyen is in the race as she is so corrupt that it is going to be easy for him to slam her in the mail. He won’t do that now as he will hold his fire for the November General Election. And as we wrote earlier this week, Solorio is very busy overseeing a massive Latino voter registration effort in Central Orange County.

Nguyen could not have been pleased to see Iglesias get into the race against Daly. Iglesias will bring out the Latino vote and they will surely vote for Solorio, not Nguyen, in the 34th State Senate District. I don’t see much crossover vote for Nguyen from Iglesias supporters. Not after what she did to CalOptima, the public agency that oversees health benefits for OC seniors. Continue reading→

SANTA ANA – A man was sentenced today to four years in state prison for attempted pandering after communicating with an undercover officer, whom he believed to be a prostitute. Frankie Lee Brown, 30, was found guilty by a jury, Feb. 26, 2014, of one felony count of attempted pandering by promise, threat, or violence to become a prostitute, and sentencing enhancements for a strike prior and a prison prior for residential burglary in 2009.

Circumstances of the Case

Brown is a pimp who exploits women and/or children for financial gain.

In April 2013, Brown began communicating in text messages and phone calls with a female undercover officer from the Anaheim Police Department (APD). The defendant believed the undercover officer was a prostitute whom he could sell for commercial sex. Continue reading→

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Anaheim Police Department (APD) are seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of a man who posed as a teenage boy on Facebook to obtain sexually explicit photos and videos from an underage girl through extortion. Victor Alfonso Pineda, 23, Anaheim, was charged today with seven felony counts of contacting a minor with intent to possess child pornography, three felony counts of threatening letter for extortion, two felony counts of extortion by force or threat, and two felony counts of attempting to use a minor for sex acts. Pineda faces a maximum sentence of 11 years and four months in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. He was arraigned today and is being held on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on May 5, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in Department N-12, North Justice Center, Fullerton. Continue reading→

Tomorrow, April 26, 2014, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be sponsoring National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The DEA has teamed up with local law enforcement across the country to set up numerous locations in which people can drop off expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs in order to prevent prescription drug abuse or theft. Prescription drugs can be dropped off at no cost, anonymously, and with no questions asked

“Prescription drugs when used properly according to a doctor’s instructions can be a wonderful tool in protecting or improving a person’s health,” Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “However, used improperly, prescription drugs can be deadly, so I urge all Orange County residents to take advantage of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to dispose of prescription drugs that are no longer needed for medical use.” Continue reading→

From left, Frances Trillwood, a Vocational Visions client, and her sister, Hilary Hurt, Executive Sales Manager of EBE and the Co-Chair of Vocational Visions’ upcoming fundraiser “An Enchanted Evening at The Kentucky Derby” on May 3.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (April 22, 2014) – Electron Beam Engineering, Inc. (EBE), an established precision electron beam and laser welding company, is continuing its long-standing partnership with Vocational Visions, the influential nonprofit group now in its 40th year of helping people with intellectual/developmental and other disabilities.

Hilary Hurt, Executive Sales Manager of EBE, is serving as co-chair of Vocational Visions’ fundraiser Saturday, May 3, “An Enchanted Evening at The Kentucky Derby,” to be held in Irvine. Continue reading→

ANAHEIM, Calif. (April 22, 2014) The City of Anaheim has extended its deadline for applications for the pilot Public Safety Board to encourage the maximum amount of participation from residents. The new deadline to file applications is May 30.

Residents may apply online at www.anaheim.net/PSB or at the City Clerk’s Office (City Hall, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd. second floor, Anaheim, CA 92805). Applicants must be Anaheim residents 18-years-of-age or older, and all applicants must undergo a background check, which is consistent with backgrounds that are conducted for other volunteers who may be granted similar access to public safety records and/or facilities. Applications are due no later than close of business on May 30. Continue reading→

FULLERTON – A man faces charges of human trafficking and pimping a minor who was actually an undercover police officer on Facebook. Dwight Lamith Garris, 34, Palmdale, is charged with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor, pandering, and pimping of a minor. If convicted, Garris faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison. Garris is being held on $50,000 and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. He was charged and arraigned on Friday, April 18, 2014, and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing April 28, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in Department N-12, North Justice Center, Fullerton.

Circumstances of the Case

Garris is accused of being a pimp/modern-day slave owner who exploits women and/or children for financial gain.

Between April 8, 2014, and April 16, 2014, Garris is accused of befriending an undercover officer on Facebook, whom he believed to be a 17-year-old girl. The defendant is accused of attempting to recruit her to work for him as a prostitute and instructing her to recruit other sex workers for Garris.